Through a generous gift from former Princeton President Bill Bowen *58, family and close friends, a scholarship to support Princeton ROTC students was created in his name in 2006.
Contributions can be mailed directly to the A&F-PUROTC, P.O. Box 964, Princeton Junction, NJ 08550. Please make check to Alumni and Friends of Princeton ROTC with notation: General Guthrie Fund;
or
Through this website; notation to General Guthrie Fund.
Inquiries regarding the Guthrie Fund can be made directly to the A&F-PUROTC Contact the A&F-PUROTC in writing at: Alumni and Friends of Princeton University ROTC, P.O. Box 964, Princeton Junction, NJ 08550; e-mail -- president@purotc.org; phone at (609) 314-1904.
or
To the Princeton University Director of Officer Education (currently Lieutenant Colonel John Stark, head of the Army ROTC “Tiger” Battalion). Director, Princeton Officer Education, Princeton University, 294 Alexander Street, Princeton, NJ 08544; e-mail – pupms@princeton.edu; phone: (609) 258-4225.
The purpose of the Guthrie Fund is to enable Princeton students to follow the example of General Guthrie’s commitment to the Princeton motto, “In the Nation’s Service” by pursuing commissions in the uniformed services of the United States through their participation in Princeton’s Reserve Officer Training Programs.
This Fund is specifically meant in two ways to encourage Princeton students to pursue commissions. First, by providing substantial financial assistance to Princeton ROTC students who contract for the ROTC Advanced Course (normally in their third or junior year) and who have not received ROTC Scholarship assistance from the military services. Financial assistance would begin as soon as the student contracts to complete the Advanced Course leading to commissioning upon graduation. As such, this assistance is meant to encourage non-scholarship ROTC students to continue in the program until they are commissioned. Second, by offering incentives to students who may be interested in trying out ROTC programs but would otherwise be deterred by financial and time demands, the Fund would support the recruiting missions of the ROTC Programs.
Time constraints often are the main obstacles to freshman and sophomores joiing the Princeton ROTC programs on a trial basis to determine if they will pursue a commission. The purpose of the second type of assistance would be to provide non-contract students with an amount equivalent to what they would otherwise earn in a Princeton University student work study program. This assistance would free up time they would otherwise have to spend to meet their financial needs through student work-study jobs.
The ultimate objective of the Fund for Advanced Course students is to provide each eligible student with an amount equivalent to the ROTC scholarship of the student’s respective service. (Traditionally this amount is full tuition plus a monthly stipend and book allowances). Until such time as the Fund is fully endowed to support this objective, the ROTC Program Director will determine the amount of expendable funds to be distributed to each eligible student.
